FLORIDA!!!!!ALWAYS SUNNY SIDE UP!!!

[Cciprnancy]

Hi Stephanie, I guess I should have built the coop first but, I kinda had to get the chicks because the husband wanted no part of it. Now that we have them, he is somewhat considering helping me build one. I am leaning towards PVC and a wooden nesting box/bad weather box at one end. I'd love to see yours. We are on about 1/3 of a acre so we don't have much room.
I have a "mutt" not sure what she is and 2 Blue Laced Red Wyandottes. The last one is a Mille Fleur Bantam Cochin.

Honestly that is why i got the chickies first as well. That and i am a teensy impatient.but i knew that hubs would totally crack once he saw how cute they are. Our first "pen" which was realky mostly a run lacked a good rof and good shade :i didnt realize how exposed to the elemntz it was until I lost 2 of my silky checks and 1 turkey in roaster to that cold snap we had a couple weeks ago. I was devastated. I felt like the worst chicken owner in the world. My husband felt really bad as well. He is the 1 who built the new coop.

Poor hubbys. Mine finally agreed to my getting chickens as long as he doesn't have to take care of them. After I purchased ten chicks, he added a small coop to his little red barn. Next I purchased an incubator. He moved one of our sheds to the cleared woods and installed a fence. I'm moving the older chicks to the new pen soon, and putting babies in the little coop.

Next I'm getting ducks. I love ducks too. Shhh don't tell him. Can I put the ducks with the chickens, or will he have to build another pen for them.

Maybe we need a thread for overworked husbands married to chicken-loving wives.

 

[Jadnils]

Well that's the price the husband pays...after all, for better or for worse...right? I think after a while, they get used to the idea and may actually find the chickens as interesting as we do...and, I'm sure they won't complain about all the fresh, free eggs !
As for the ducks, go for it! Maybe he won't notice? LOL

My friend had duckings in with chicks...but I'm not so sure about when they are grown, I think your husband will be at work building a duck pen...

If we make a page/thread for over worked husbands married to chicken loving wives, I think we, the wives, would be the only ones on it !

 

[crossgirl]

Thanks everyone for your incite, unfortunately I have no place to relocate my girl all my nest boxes are side by side.. Have all hens so wasn't prepared for a broody. I couldn't break her from being broody so bought her some fertile eggs. I did change out the hay and wipe off eggs and removed the broken egg/fetus.

Could you maybe fashion a screen door across her box that could be opened in the evening or whenever your chickens are done laying for the day?

Well that's the price the husband pays...after all, for better or for worse...right? I think after a while, they get used to the idea and may actually find the chickens as interesting as we do...and, I'm sure they won't complain about all the fresh, free eggs !
As for the ducks, go for it! Maybe he won't notice? LOL

My friend had duckings in with chicks...but I'm not so sure about when they are grown, I think your husband will be at work building a duck pen...

If we make a page/thread for over worked husbands married to chicken loving wives, I think we, the wives, would be the only ones on it !

No, no, no! None of this wasting time whining on the internet when they should be busy making coops and runs!!

 

[Cciprnancy]

I love it.

 

[Charleymitchell]

Hey guys!

I have a question where do you guys go to sell your chicks ducklings turkeys etc etc.... by the end of may I will have turkeys,chickens,ducks! I plan to breed and sell them.. Maybe show? I'm not trying to make a get rich thing just try and earn a little to spend on them or maybe a garden.. I'm a mother and wife to a truck driver who is never home.. I miss him so terribly! I thought having a hobby might make the time being apart easier plus my son loves his ducklings! I enjoy them to no end.

Any tips on selling, raising and cooking ideas or gardening ideas will be much loved! LOL I'm a young mother with a beautiful boy (Who was planned!) And I'm trying to more ways to be more self sufficient.

Is killing your own poultry more healthier? Cleaner?

Like I said any little info is so important! Thank you all!.
My chicks get here 7th
bourbon reds and one royal palm on the 23rd

 

[sinkorswim]

Poor hubbys. Mine finally agreed to my getting chickens as long as he doesn't have to take care of them. After I purchased ten chicks, he added a small coop to his little red barn. Next I purchased an incubator. He moved one of our sheds to the cleared woods and installed a fence. I'm moving the older chicks to the new pen soon, and putting babies in the little coop.
Next I'm getting ducks. I love ducks too. Shhh don't tell him. Can I put the ducks with the chickens, or will he have to build another pen for them.
Maybe we need a thread for overworked husbands married to chicken-loving wives.

Ducks will need their own pen.They can be ranged together but need separate sleeping quarters.Ducks will yuck up the water on their first visit.Its kinda gross for the chickens to have to drink after the ducks.The other thing is the feed.The ducks can bring water in their bills to the feed.If you are using a feeder they will quickly sour and entire feeder.The other thing is the duck manure.Chicken manure in a way is sorta solid,duck manure is anything but.A chicken will scratch and turn their own bedding to a degree,a duck will just cover it...from wall to wall.And for me I raised Muscovy's who would perch and poop on the chickens.Sorry, I know Muscovy are hated here in Florida but they were loved and cherished in Michigan and I bred some really nice colors.Your biggest cost with chickens is the wasted food,your biggest cost with ducks is their bedding.It only takes a few ducks to completely cover an 8x8 in just days.On the bright side they dont waste much food.They dont do well with feeders,its better to serve them in a bowl.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Charleymitchell, hello from West Palm Beach! There's a lot of great information to glean from this site as well as the related sites like http://www.SufficientSelf.com and http://www.TheEasyGarden.com Raising your own groceries is a satisfying hobby, and most folks find that chickens end up being fun to keep. Many BYC members do process their own poultry and consider it superior to that found in the store. You're in for a lot of enjoyment!

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Quote:

...unfortunately I have no place to relocate my girl all my nest boxes are side by side...

Keep an eye out for cages & things in which you can keep chickens separate, they'll be useful when you have broody hens as well as when you need to separate chickens for illness or injury. I've kept broody bantam hens well in those rabbit cages that have a plastic pan on the bottom & wire on the top. Plastic and/or wire dog crates are good too.

 

[chem]

fellow floridians help!!!

i am in desperate need of help! i just lost 3 of my 4 babies to cocci. they were 5 weeks old. i ordered the meds yesterday that speckledhen told me to buy in order to treat my older flock. they are 11 weeks old and i do not see them developing cocci. but i am going to treat them just in case. here is the problem..... its the weekend and the meds will not arrive in time for me to save the life of my last little baby chick. she is a fighter and she is hanging on! she can still move around and peep yet she is sluggish and has slight blood mixed with her poop. i REALLY want to save her life.... i am not sure if she will survive long enough for the meds to arrive. is there anyone locally near me that can possibly help me out with some corid? just enough to hold me over til i get mine in the mail? i could not find a place that sells it locally so i had no choice but to order it. i do not mind paying for the meds nor do i mind driving to meet someone to pick them up. i live on the northern tip of brevard county in mims and am willing to drive! my vehicle is really old and falling apart but i can probably drive about an hours distance to meet anyone.
if anyone out there can help me please PM me so i get the message faster. i will be checking back and forth all day.

i love being a new chicken mommy but there are some things i wish i would have known or done my homework on.... i should have had this med on hand just in case! this is a hard lesson to learn and i do not want my last remaining baby to die. its been breaking my heart and its not fair to this baby. i know she can still make it if i get meds in her quickly.

thank you all for your time and i hope you have a great morning!

 

[carolsaucier]

Quote:

...unfortunately I have no place to relocate my girl all my nest boxes are side by side...

Keep an eye out for cages & things in which you can keep chickens separate, they'll be useful when you have broody hens as well as when you need to separate chickens for illness or injury. I've kept broody bantam hens well in those rabbit cages that have a plastic pan on the bottom & wire on the top. Plastic and/or wire dog crates are good too.

Thanks, I will do that. Previously I have borrowed one from neighbor who also has a few hens.